MedicAlert Foundation Reminds Americans about Importance of Protecting Children on National Missing Children's Day

World-famous charity provides protection through medical IDs which are connected to live 24/7 emergency response service

(TURLOCK, Calif., May 23, 2014) – This May 25th, MedicAlert Foundation is honoring National Missing Children's Day; an event which is designed to celebrate the significance of hope and honors the promise to help find and reunite missing children and teenagers with their families. In honor of the event, MedicAlert Foundation urges Americans to include MedicAlert products and services as part of their family's comprehensive safety plan. With the offering of various kids medical IDs, families can ensure their children are protected by the only medical identification products that are connected to MedicAlert's world-famous Live 24/7 Emergency Response Service.

"Our charity was established by a father who wanted to protect his child," explains Andrew B. Wigglesworth, President and CEO of MedicAlert Foundation, "children are at the heart of our mission and we are committed to continue developing life-saving products to ensure their safety in emergency situations."

In March 2014, 9-year old Brandon climbed over the backyard fence of his family's home and crossed a busy street to continue on his way. Unaware that he had figured out how to climb the fence, his mother Aimee first assumed he was playing in the tree house. Upon learning that her son was missing, Aimee went into an immediate state of panic. She would soon learn that Brandon had wandered a little over a mile away from home.

Brandon was spotted by a Good Samaritan who noticed a young boy walking barefoot in the middle of the road. She knew something wasn’t right when she made a few attempts to get the boy’s attention, but he continued on with no response. The Samaritan immediately recognized Brandon’s MedicAlert medical ID bracelet with the inscription “Autism & Non-verbal.” She immediately called the number on his bracelet connecting her to a MedicAlert Emergency Response Specialist.

“I was driving around for less than two minutes when MedicAlert called me,” said Aimee, adding “Brandon would have kept going and ended up who knows where if the nice woman hadn’t of stopped and saw his MedicAlert ID bracelet.”

“The lady on the phone from MedicAlert told me exactly where I could go to pick up Brandon; I couldn’t help from being a blubbering mess yet so grateful.”

“My parents were the ones who made the decision to get Brandon’s MedicAlert membership a few years back" says Aimee, adding; "that night I contacted my dad and told him how MedicAlert saved his life.”

About MedicAlert Foundation

Established in 1956, the nonprofit charity MedicAlert Foundation pioneered the use of medical ID products and delivers the most dependable, responsive, and trusted Emergency Identification and Medical Information Network. MedicAlert provides the functionality of an e-health information exchange through an innovative combination of a unique patient identifier linked to a personal health record and a live 24/7 emergency response service. MedicAlert Foundation International medical ID products alert emergency personnel to a member’s primary health conditions, medications or other critical information. In addition to its 24-hour emergency response service, MedicAlert Foundation International also provides family and caregiver notification so that members can be reunited with their loved ones. Visit www.medicalert.org for more information.

Friday, May 23, 2014

MedicAlert Foundation® is more than a medical ID - we are the most dependable, responsive, intelligent, and trusted emergency support network.